


The Love Languages of Christopher Diaz

by matan4il



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: 5 Times, 5+1 Things, Christopher Diaz is a National Treasure, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Family Fluff, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:00:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28482036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/matan4il/pseuds/matan4il
Summary: Five times Christopher showed Buck that he loves him without words and the one time he said it.(also known as: several missing Buck and Chris scenes that the show owes us)The earthquake wasn't that scary to Chris, but then maybe it's because surgeries are scarier and he's gotten through a couple of those alright. What makes him sad are the hours that pass after that, as kid after kid from his school are picked up by their parents and the building becomes emptier with every passing moment until it's only him and one teacher left.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley & Christopher Diaz & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan "Buck" Buckley & Christopher Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Comments: 54
Kudos: 539
Collections: Buddie Discord Secret Elf 2020





	The Love Languages of Christopher Diaz

**Author's Note:**

  * For [firstdegreefangirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/firstdegreefangirl/gifts).



> Written for the Buddie Discord secret elf fic exchange, for Katie. You asked for family fluff, I did my best to deliver! I hope you like it!
> 
> Also sending so much love to Cath, because seriously, without you, this fic would not have been completed. Thank you so much for your help, boo! 
> 
> Big thank you to the wonderful Ro for the cover art that she made for this story, it's so beautiful and sweet, just like you! I love it! 
> 
> Lastly, thank you to the ever great Toughpaperround for the beta'ing and all the love you put into every fic that you even indirectly touch! You're always treasured! 
> 
> And of course, happy holidays and a new (Gregorian calendar) year to everyone!

  
  


**Jokes**

The earthquake wasn't that scary to Chris, but then maybe it's because surgeries are scarier and he's gotten through a couple of those alright. What makes him sad are the hours that pass after that, as kid after kid from his school are picked up by their parents and the building becomes emptier with every passing moment until it's only him and one teacher left.

"I'm sorry you can't go home yet," Chris says quietly. It's on his account that Mr. Reiter has to stay while everyone else is free to go. And the school isn't a pleasant place to stay in when it's deserted and after dark. Chris looks down. He's not upset for himself. This isn't fun, but he's aware that he's waiting because his father is out there, saving lives. He's helping Dad and those strangers as well, by being patient. But his teacher doesn't get to have the same sense of pride in his dad that Chris does, so as much as this isn't enjoyable to him, it must be worse for Mr. Reiter. If only, at the very least, the wait wasn't quite so long...

A big hand is placed on his shoulder. "Don't worry, soon enough we both will."

Christopher nods and replays the best bits of his favorite books in his head.

When a Jeep pulls up at the open school doors and his dad jumps out, all of those hours fall away from his shoulders, just like Mr. Reiter's hand did as soon as Chris leaned forward at the sound of an approaching vehicle. His father picks him up, crutches and all, and gives him the biggest hug in the world. The best kind. The one that wordlessly says, "I may be saving other people, but you're saving me."

Christopher gets spun around a few times and he laughs joyously as he's in the safest place he knows, his dad's arms.

It takes a few minutes for the hug to subside, for his father to thank Mr. Reiter, pick up his school bag and lead him out, to the Jeep with its motor still running.

There's a guy inside, waiting. Watching them intently. He's maybe the biggest guy Chris had ever met and right away, as they get to the vehicle, he's all warmth and awkwardness, tilting his head to the side with a shy smile. 

"This is Buck," Dad introduces him. "We work together."

Something about the way this guy nods and says with too much emotion, "Hi, Chris. I heard a lot about you," is more truthful than most adults are. And his eyes are kind and open, even as he's moving his body closer to the driver's door, as if making more space for them.

It all makes Christopher feel incredibly confident. He can help the guy out, put him more at ease with them.

"Buck," he asks, "what sound does an interrupting cow make?"

**Drawings and Cards**

Dad came back from his shift much later than he was supposed to. Chris wanted to wait up for him, but Carla insisted that little boys who want to grow up to be as big and strong as their fathers had to get some sleep. He did the math for her, that he could stay up and still sleep for a few hours, but as it turns out, by 'some,' she meant 'lots of,' so he eventually had no other choice than to be tucked into bed by her.

Not that he really fell asleep. He usually had no problem with that, but Dad never changed his plans like this when he promised he'd be home early to tell Chris his bedtime story. And then there was the phone call his father had made to Carla from some place she wouldn't tell him about, before she put him on the phone for them to at least get to say good night to each other. 

Something was up and the grown ups were not telling Chris what. It made him worried enough that it was hard to fall asleep. But at some point, he must have, because the next thing he knows, it's morning and he has to get out of bed, hard as that is, because his father woke him up, calling him from the doorway to come to the kitchen for some breakfast before the omelette gets cold.

Chris puts on his robe and makes his way there, one careful step at a time, using his hands for balance. When he gets to the kitchen and takes his seat, Dad comes over for a greeting and to give him a good morning kiss. It's the best part of breakfast, but today Christopher can tell that his father is bothered by something. Probably whatever it was that happened last night.

"Morning, Dad," Chris replies.

"So what would you like with your omelette, champ? Cheese and vegetables?"

"Mmm. Yes. And some hummus," he decides.

His dad brings everything over from the kitchen counter, and there's the start of something that he's trying to say, but it doesn't come out as anything more than a low, grumbly noise. That's alright. Christopher is here for him. 

"Dad, what happened last night?"

One nervous cough and his father is casting his eyes down as he speaks, oh so slowly. "There was an incident at work. Buck got... his leg got trapped under a truck. They operated on him and just like you did after your surgeries, he's going to have to stay in the hospital for a while..."

Chris considers this. 

"Can we go to the hospital to visit him?"

"He's still asleep, buddy. And you have school. But I'm going there to stay with him until he wakes up and I'll come get you as soon as he does. How's that?"

Christopher nods. "I'll make him the nicest get well card at school."

His dad smiles and it's the first time he has that morning. 

Which makes Chris happy, but still, he's not making this card for his father. He's making it for Buck. And when they're in his hospital room after they've waited for their turn to enter, because the doctors said he couldn't see too many visitors at once, and after Chris had doodled on the cast in a spot he checked could be easily seen, it's Buck's smile that makes the card a success. He's going to be okay and this is the exact moment when Christopher is sure of it.

**Cooking**

"Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Those turkey ranch wraps we used to have in El Paso?"

His father raises an eyebrow. "What about them?"

"I think we should make some. I miss them."

And now he's frowning. "You used to have them at school. I never made them and I'm not sure it would be such a good idea if we tried."

"But you always say I can do anything."

"That's true," his dad says cautiously.

"And I want to try."

"I don't have the recipe..."

"We'll call Abuela for one. She can make anything. She has it or she'll figure it out."

Dad looks very skeptical, but he also knows when Christopher has made his mind up about something, so there's no point trying to prevent this from happening. They make the call to Abuela, who's always delighted to hear from them, but especially so when she can be useful in some way.

"Of course! I don't make them, because my tamales are so much better..."

"They are," his father reassures her.

"But I have a recipe for them. Hold on a minute..."

They don't get around to tackling it that day. Dad doesn't have ready-made tortillas at home and Abuella forces him to promise that he won't try making them himself, so this will entail a visit to the store. They have most of the vegetables, other than the bell peppers. They also need to get the cheddar cheese.

The next day, when Christopher has finished school, his father picks him up and actually looks excited about it. The recipe must be pretty easy, then. 

They get home and start working right away. The wraps do prove to be very simple to make and Chris isn't the only one enjoying himself, rolling the tortillas up.

"Okay, little Superman, dig in," his dad says when the last one is done and placed on the platter.

"No, we're putting them in the fridge. For tomorrow," Chris says.

His father looks surprised. "Wait, what?"

"We'll be going to see Buck, right?" 

Dad's face testifies that he's not connecting the dots yet.

Christopher sighs. Buck has been back at home from the hospital for almost a week. They've all been over there to visit him, though not everyone at once. His loft is too small for that, Dad had explained. The recuperation process takes longer with adults, that was another explanation provided. Buck is not going to be able to leave his apartment at first.

"Remember when I had a birthday after my second operation?" 

His father nods. "Sure. Ms. Kristen and the class came to visit and throw you a surprise party."

"They brought turkey ranch wraps."

Dad had forgotten. Or never retained from the get go what it was the class brought, but to Christopher, that was one of the most delicious treats he's had. They can't bring to the loft an entire bunch of people to throw a party, but they can make Buck a surprise and give him a nice memory with the wraps.

When Buck takes off the cover, surprised and repeatedly thankful, it's a moment of joy. Because as he tastes the first of the wraps, he's closing his eyes and mumbling, "Mmmm," around the huge bite he's taken like it's one of the best things he's ever eaten, too. Like he's going to remember it for a long time.

**Sharing Toys**

Christopher's first sleepover was everything he wanted it to be. His friends all had fun and when they left, he was sure they'd be back again. But it's not a perfect contentment. Buck would have usually come over that evening, but he didn't.

"Dad, Buck wasn't here yesterday. Can we invite him over tonight?"

There's this special smile that his dad gets whenever Chris asks to see Buck that makes sense in a way a lot of adult things don't. 

"Sure, buddy. If you finish your homework in time, I'll check with him if he can come congratulate you when you're done."

Christopher hasn't been that eager to get through his homework in a long time and Buck doesn't disappoint him either, showing up just a few minutes after he's done.

"Buck!" he grins, enjoying the way this huge man always steps down to give him a hug at the same height. He returns it, noticing the way there's a small tremor running through the big body engulfing him. "Are you okay?"

Buck pulls away to look at him. "I am, buddy. It's just that I met this older guy last night who made me a bit sad. He was really alone."

That's another thing that Chris likes about Buck. He doesn't talk down to kids. Or pretend bad stuff doesn't happen. Or maybe it's unique to the two of them, after everything they've been through in the tsunami together. And Chris also appreciates that Buck cares about absolutely everyone, even complete strangers, like the ones who floundered in the water by their fire truck or the lonely old man he met just yesterday.

Dad puts his hand on Buck's shoulder, like he does to Chris when he's being comforting. There are instants when he recognizes that he's with the two most important men in his life, but he's separate from them. For a second or two, they're in their own little bubble and he just happens to be close by... and that's okay. Especially having grown up with parents who were too often apart or fighting, Christopher doesn't mind. In fact, there's something really reassuring about these moments and he's happy that he gets to watch.

"You should have seen it, Eds." Buck's eyes are wide and torn when he looks up at Dad, standing up while he continues speaking. "His apartment. Full of things and so empty. No one else lives there. Nobody visits."

Dad gently nudges him so they can both sit down on the couch together. Christopher thinks about the loft and how it has cool things like bikes on the wall and tons of video games, but no door to the bedroom, because there's only one.

"I'll be right back," Chris says and makes his way to his room, moving his crutches faster than usual, because he's on a mission. He goes straight for the bed and picks up his objective, then makes his way back to the living room and the couch.

He places Tim in Buck's lap.

"Chris?" His face and voice are full of confusion.

"For you, so you're not alone."

Buck's expression softens and he looks down at Tim. "But this is the teddy bear that I got you as a gift to replace the one we lost on the pier. It's yours."

"We can share him," Chris replies confidently. "It's like I'm with you even when I'm not there." He's never had to do that with any of his toys or games, but with Buck, he wants to. He's swept into another hug that his dad joins in on and he's never loved a teddy bear more.

**Touch**

Buck is sleeping in the master bedroom while Dad's in the kitchen, making meatballs. The turkey wraps had given him a taste for some other simple recipes, Chris likes cooking with him and neither one of them acknowledges out loud that these were found online, on a site aimed at cooking for kids.

The clock shows 12 and it's the summer vacation for Christopher, but he's still not allowed to sleep in. Which means that neither does his father. So when another grown up in the house does, it begs the question...

"Is Buck alright?"

Dad looks at him quietly for a minute, his eyes appraising. Then he sighs. "Buck ran into this... old friend that he used to know. He really loved her. But she... she left him, which really hurts."

He doesn't spell it out, but Chris knows he means, like Mom.

"Why did she leave?"

"I don't know. She had some weird explanation for him, but I think... maybe she just didn't love him back."

Chris nods. He gets it now. "So he came here. Because he's loved here." Dad's face seems paler and maybe he's trying to reply, but it's not working. It's fine, he doesn't have to. "He shouldn't be alone when he wakes up." Christopher's already made his mind up, but he wants to be certain his father will manage. "You can finish without me?"

Dad nods and neglects the meatballs for a few more minutes, as Chris leaves the room, fully aware of the gaze following him. His father is a much bigger softie than people realize.

Christopher opens the bedroom door and walks in quietly, crawling onto the bed to lie down by a sleeping Buck, just like he has done so many times by Dad after Mom had left. Chris turns and puts his hand on the broad back, finding that this means he's snuggling into Buck's side. It feels right. It's hard to tell, it could be out of sleep, but a big arm comes to hug Chris close and he's wrapped up in heat and coziness. He leans his head into Buck and closes his eyes. He may not stay awake for long. That's how it used to go with Dad. Which is Christopher's favorite type of cuddle, the one he is so secure in, he can fall asleep.

He's going to tell Buck that he's loved as soon as they both wake up.

Chris just has to remember.

**And the One Time: Words**

Dad is eating his cereals with an unusual concentration, like he's getting the news from the milk in his bowl. It's been a week since Chris had returned from summer camp and he doesn't easily become suspicious, but something is certainly off.

Buck hasn't woken up yet. Ever since his night sleeping over at their place, after meeting that lady by chance and not long before Christopher left for the camp, it has become a new constant. 

He didn't ask why Buck was staying there and not at the loft at first, out of hope that if he wouldn't say anything, the mistake would go unnoticed and continue.

Then Chris went on not addressing this, because it had become obvious to him that there was no oversight on the grown-ups' part, this was simply the new routine. There was nothing to comment on, he simply got to enjoy it.

It crosses Christopher's mind that the tickle monster may just have to attack if that sleeping giant doesn't wake up soon. Truth is, Buck was the first tickle monster, cruelly striking in the mornings when it was hardest for little boys to wake up. But then, during one afternoon nap, the tables had turned and Chris had become the second tickle monster, after he got curious and decided to test the waters, discovering to his satisfaction that Buck was, in fact, more ticklish than him.

But he stays put. Dad is strangely tense this morning and struggling to speak about what's on his mind. Chris wishes he'd do it already, blurt anything out and be done with it. Sometimes adults make things unnecessarily complicated.

When Buck shows up in the kitchen doorway, Dad looks up at him and it's like he can finally breathe. Not that his tension disappears. Maybe it's more like he's relieved he doesn't have to deal with it on his own anymore.

He clears his throat while Buck comes over and takes a seat by his side. They exchange a look and it's obvious that they're nowhere closer to figuring out how to start this conversation.

"There's something you want to tell me?" Christopher decides to put them out of their misery.

His dad takes a deep breath and, constantly shifting eye contact from him to Buck and back again, he quietly asks, "You know that I loved your mother very much, right?"

Chris nods. His parents might have had their issues that Dad explained at the time, why the two of them were going to lead separate lives, but there was love between them as well. It was evident in how sad he was when Mom died. He didn't talk about his heartache, but it took a long time before he smiled with his eyes again.

Dad puts his hand on Buck's. "Buddy, I'm never going to stop loving her. She's the reason I have you. And nothing matters like you do. But..."

"But you also love Buck," Chris finishes for him.

"You... you knew?"

"It's kind of obvious." 

Dad huffs out a little, his face a weird mixture of disbelief and pride.

Buck leans forward a bit and how big his eyes are reminds Chris of the first time they met. "And you're okay with this?"

He's scared. Chris should have noticed that sooner, but he was too distracted by all the nervousness coming off from Dad.

"Of course I am," he states simply. "I love you, too."

His dad pushes the bowl of cereals and milk away and over the kitchen table, he gently takes hold of Christopher's head and plants a drawn out kiss on the top of it. 

They were both scared. The longer the kiss lasts, the clearer that is.

Chris doesn't understand why they would be, what would ever make them think he'd have a problem with this. But after Dad is done, Buck's standing by and is adding his own kiss at the same spot. "I love you, Christopher," he says with a strained voice and after he straightens up, they're both grinning. Neither of them is going to be afraid about this anymore.

They talk about it a bit. That Buck is going to properly move in and that they will go on dates. That Carla is going to stay over when they do and which gifts they're going to get Chris. He's in favor of toys, but is willing to compromise for chocolate. Dad isn't enthused about that suggestion. Buck, on the other hand, doesn't stop glowing. So there's a chance for the chocolate after all.

After breakfast is finished, they settle in to watch a movie together. Chris gets to choose which one and as he rifles through the DVDs, he briefly turns his head to the two of them and catches that certain smile on his dad's face. It's reflected on Buck's as they look at each other, smiling with everything they have, one's hand in the other's.

It's one of those moments again, but this time Christopher feels like he's inside their bubble with them. He wonders if the smile on his face is a noticeably special one, too.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are so appreciated and you can always contact me for anything via [my Tumblr](https://matan4il.tumblr.com/) as well! <33333


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